Carol as Told by Friends
STORIES COMPILED BY JULIANNE WALLER AND RJ WALTERS
ROBERT CLAUSSEN
“She was the glue that kept us all together.”
In junior high, Robert Claussen met Carol for the first time in Mrs. Baker’s Ballroom Etiquette class. He didn’t know it then, but they would be lifelong friends. Despite their busy careers and Robert moving away from Lakeland, the two maintained their friendship for more than 50 years.
“There were five of us that were always together over the years, and she always brought us [back] together because we all went on to have very different lives,” Robert remembers. “She was the glue that kept us all together.”
It was Carol’s love of travel that, in large part, allowed the group of friends to stay close over the years – and it all started with trips to Anna Maria Island. Robert’s family owned a place on the island when he was in high school, which the group frequently visited. “I don’t know what was with our parents in the ’70s, but they just let us go,” laughs Robert. “We started out going there, and then Carol got a place on Longboat – [so] we were always going back and forth to the beach.”
As time passed, Robert and a few others had moved away from Lakeland – but Carol kept up the tradition.
“When we [were older], the trips got more involved. She was always getting us together,” Robert recalls. “She really kept everybody close.”
Robert has many wonderful memories of trips with Carol, but some of his favorites include the British Virgin Islands and Telluride, an old mining town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
“We used to go often, because [Carol and her husband, Barney] have property there. We used to go on the boat together, have all kinds [of adventures.]”
“Carol was just a normal person – you wouldn’t know that there was any money there. She really was down to earth and good to everyone that she met,” Robert says of Carol. “She just was wonderful.”
SUSIE JEFFERSON
To Susie Jefferson, Carol Jenkins Barnett was the girl she grew up next door to who asked her to be maid of honor in the wedding she held in her parent’s house. She said it’s remarkable to consider that Carol before and after she inherited a fortune was essentially the same person: down-to-earth, willing to consider the needs of many and always up for a fun time.
She remembers Carol’s wedding day being a “very intimate ceremony” where the bride got dressed in her parent’s bedroom and Barney and Carol tied the knot in the living room. Interestingly enough, the quintessential Lakeland couple headed outside the city limits to continue the celebration.
“Afterward we got in limos and went to celebrate at the Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales,” she said. “That day was very, very special.”
Carol was also the fun loving young girl who developed from a Santa Fe High School student into a dynamic speaker, an inspiring leader and Mr. George’s daughter who doggedly kept and expanded his legacy.
Susie said she witnessed first-hand the incredibly close bond shared by father and daughter, and when George Jenkins suffered a stroke, Carol was there to jump into action on his behalf.
“She was right there to run the charities for him...and follow up all the things that he was (doing.) She felt a huge responsibility to do that,” Susie said. “I would just say, ‘Why are you doing all this?’ You know, we could be sitting at the beach, but she just felt compelled to continue his legacy.”
Susie says what she misses most is the daily phone calls she and Carol would share, where they would vent with each other and share the ups and downs of everyday life.“I was her confidant and of course she was my confidant.”
CAROLYN ROBERTS
Carolyn Roberts, one of Carol’s oldest friends, met her for the first time when she was very young.
“I’m not sure exactly how I met her,” Carolyn admits. “I knew her for a very long time – [for] most of her life.”
Like most who were close to Carol, Carolyn is very passionate about her friend’s character.
“The most important thing about Carol is that she was consistent,” Carolyn says. “Her spirit was to know people, find out what they needed, and if there was anything she could do to make their lives better.”
When asked about Carol outside of her famous philanthropic work, Carolyn spoke of her friend’s athletic ability.
“She loved all sports,” recalls Carolyn. “She was very adventurous and quite athletic in all areas that she tried. She really was a very gifted athlete. She [especially] loved the water.”
Carol didn’t only love playing sports – she loved watching them, too. She enjoyed going to games and was a big fan of football in particular, including the Tampa Bay Bucs and her favorite team, the Florida Gators. Carol loved the Gators so much that she went to see Florida play USC on her honeymoon in California – and brought Carolyn along. It’s clear that Carolyn is important to Carol’s family, and Carolyn strongly believes that her friend’s great legacy will live on through them.
“Carol wanted to continue [Mr. George’s] work, and she did it beautifully,” she says. “I believe that her children and Barney, [who] is the most wonderful person ever, will continue her greatness.”
“I want you to quote me on this,” Carolyn said. “Carol was consistent in her life, she loved life and she loved people and she was dedicated to making it better for everyone she met – and that is absolutely the essence of Carol Barnett.”
MATTIE PHILLIPS
“She was a beautiful, loving person, i tell you. Always had that special smile...”
Mattie Phillips was in Carol’s house more often than most family members over the years — and she still is today.
Mattie started as a housekeeper for the Barnett’s in 1981, and 41 years later Mattie and her daughter continue to be employed by Barney.
As Mattie puts it, Carol was more like a sister than an employer, and that tight bond is the reason Mattie is still processing the grief of losing a good friend.
“We talked about a lot…and you know, I never forgot I worked for her…but we did talk a lot and helped [each other] out a lot,” she says. “When I became ill, I had I think four or five surgeries and they were there, (Carol) was right there.”
Mattie said Carol had the ability to keep things light hearted and bring a smile to almost any occasion. Mattie noted how the Barnett family often celebrates her birthday with special lunches, one example of their kind and generous spirit.
“Carol was pleased with everything. You know how it is with some people…you can’t please ‘em no matter what you do, but whatever you did, it pleased her,” Mattie said. “(If) she had a birthday or Christmas or something, you know, whatever you bought, she was just so happy for it — I don’t care if it was a pair of socks.”
“She was a beautiful, loving person, I tell you. Always had that special smile, you know...and she was loved.”
RYAN LOPEZ
If you talk to Ryan for 20 minutes about Carol you’re likely to get at least five colorful, detailed stories about her life — some fit for print and some that make you grin but are best left to her inner circle.
He has been a family friend for years, and for many miles and memorable conversations as a driver for Carol. He would drive her to and from meetings and parties, drop her off and pick her up from the airport and on occasion even accompany the family on trips outside of Florida.
He’s quick to share stories that illustrate Carol’s ability to make even the most awkward situations enjoyable, and a recurring theme of his interactions with her is that she truly had little regard for class or wealth when it came to making friends.
One story he fondly remembers showcases how she fearlessly stuck up for those she deeply cared about — including Ryan — no matter the crowd she was with.
“I’ll never forget this night…it was just her and I was taking her to a fundraiser party. At the time I had this 2002 Dodge minivan that was brown, I mean this thing looked like a dog turd on wheels,” he joked.
Ryan said as he dropped her off people outside started pointing at the van and snickering at it, going as far as giving Ryan dirty looks. As Carol exited the vehicle she could see the snobbery taking place and wasn’t having it.
“She looked over and goes, ‘Hey everybody, I want first and foremost for you to know this is my friend Ryan and this is the van cab and I love it.’”
From that moment on the endearing name stuck with the lovely brown van, and Ryan was proud to be able to build his business around it.